Getting Inline: Friends Prep for NorthShore Inline Marathon

All three met and connected while working at the Maurices Headquarters in Duluth.

“We all kind of bonded over running,” Fitzgerald told us recently. “We just kind of stuck together and now really any kind of fun adventure that we can find, we’ll go off and do together.”

“It was the year of things you’ve never done before, so we decided we would try the inline race,” Murphy added, referencing their first experience with the NorthShore Inline Half Marathon in 2017.

Robinson told us it didn’t take long for them to hop on board for another race.

“It ended up being so much fun that the day after the race, we signed up for the next year,” she said. “Sometimes people think that you have to be this serious skater to do it, and you really don’t. Anybody can do this, and it’s so much fun, and it’s an experience that you’ll remember forever.”

All three of our fairly new skaters agree that this is a perfect learn-as-you-go sport.

Some tips from the trio:
Don’t worry if you don’t know how to stop quite yet.
If you’re tired, just coast and catch your breath.
Use the gradual curves of the landscape to take it easy and enjoy the atmosphere.
If you’re worried about stress on your body, inline skating is much easier on your joints than running.

“I actually kind of regret not signing up for the Full [Marathon],” Murphy said. “Having done the Half one time, I really think that you could pick up and do the Full without a lot of training.”

According to Race Director Mike Ward, the NorthShore Inline Marathon is the largest inline skating event of any kind in North America. The full 26.2 mile race begins in Two Harbors, follows Scenic Highway 61 and I-35 (yes, you skate THROUGH the tunnels!), and ends near the William A. Irvin in Canal Park.